1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to protective covers that are used with rotary types of knobs and, more particularly, to such devices that prevent undesired access to a faucet, stove, or door knob.
Valves, which control the flow of a liquid or a gas, require a method to manipulate the setting of the valve. Often a rotary type of a knob is attached to the valve in such a manner that when the knob is turned the interior setting of the valve is affected. If access to a valve having a knob is to be restricted then one way to accomplish that is by restricting access to the knob. Examples of such types of knobs include stove (gas or electric), and faucet knobs.
Rotary knobs are used to regulate latches as well. A common example is a rotary door knob that is turned (rotated) to loosen the latch that secures a door in place. There are times when it is desirable to prevent turning a door knob such as when small children are to be safely contained in a particular area. In such a circumstance the particular door that is to be secured may not have a locking mechanism associated with it. One way to impede opening the door is to bar access to the door knob.
The field of the invention, as it applies to knobs which regulate faucets, is examined in greater detail below.
Small children placed in a bathtub, if temporarily left unattended, may be inclined to touch and manipulate the faucet knobs. If the hot water knob is opened the danger of scalding is at once realized. If the hot water is allowed to flow for an extended period of time into the tub, there arises the danger of elevating the overall water temperature sufficient so as to overheat the core temperature of the child thus producing, in the worst case scenario, a potentially life threatening situation. There is also the danger that the child might recoil in shock arising from contact with the hot water and possibly sustain a physical injury as a result of an impact so generated.
Similarly, if the cold water knob is opened there is danger that a child might recoil in shock arising from contact with the cold water and possibly become injured. If the flow of cold water is allowed to continue, there arises the danger of decreasing the overall water temperature a sufficient amount so as to decrease the core temperature of the child thus once again producing, in the worst case scenario, a potentially life threatening situation.
There are also other forms of damage that can arise from a prolonged flow of running water. Perhaps the least damaging of these involves the cost associated with the excessive use of water. There is a cost associated with the delivery of water that is generally proportionate to the quantity of water delivered. Thus an excessive use of water is financially wasteful.
During periods of drought, an excess consumption of water is also wasteful of a most precious resource, the water itself. During such times and in such places where the conservation of water is warranted, it is desirable to prevent the inadvertent use of water, such as would occur if either the hot or the cold (or both) faucet knobs were improperly opened and left running.
There is also the danger that an overflow condition can occur possibly spilling water out of the tub and onto the floor and surrounding structures. It is well known that water damage, caused by leakage, spillage, or flooding, can be a substantial cause for loss, as any insurance company can affirm.
Very young children lack the mental discernment to appreciate and consider the potential consequences of their actions. So do those with developmental delays as well as those who suffer from degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's. In addition memory and cognitive functioning loss can occur in people of all ages due to brain damage arising from various disease processes or from physical trauma to the brain.
While the undesired opening of faucet knobs of a bathtub have been discussed, many of the above reasons apply equally well to other types of faucet knobs, such as those associated with water fixtures of any type, for example those of a sink or laundry wash basin. There are times when the unauthorized use of these types of water fixtures also needs to be prevented.
All of these circumstances are ameliorated by the use of a protective cover that is placed over the faucet knob, providing the protective cover either sufficiently hinders or totally prevents the operation of the faucet knob that it covers.
However, there are a couple of requirements, not obvious at first consideration, that must also be satisfied. It is necessary, as a first requirement, that the protective cover be readily removable and also readily applicable by a caregiver. The caregiver may be a child's parent, or in a reversal of roles the caregiver may be an elderly parent's child, or in general any person that is administering to another human being having special needs. If a lengthy assembly or disassembly process is required either to install or to remove the protective cover, it will not be practical for use and, accordingly, it will not be a well accepted product.
Therefore the protective cover must be both readily removable and readily attachable when desired. There exists another requirement that an ideal rotary knob cover must have. It must be readily removable by the caregiver but pose as nearly an insurmountable quandary to the person to whom access to the faucet knob is to be denied as is possible.
As a second requirement of the ideal rotary knob cover, there is a much more difficult problem to be overcome, the solution of which is anything but obvious. The mechanical configuration for an ideal rotary knob cover, while being easy for a caregiver to remove must then, at the same time, be difficult to remove by both small children as well as by those adults with special needs whose mental acuity has in some way been sufficiently diminished so as to warrant restricted access to the knob that is protected by the rotary knob cover.
It is also desirable at times to consider that the faucet knob or knobs (hot, cold, or a combination of both) may be set to flow at a particular rate, in which case it is desirable to prevent any tampering in the settings which could affect either the rate of flow or the temperature setting. As an example, if a small child is placed in a partially filled tub after the water temperature flowing from the faucets has been properly set, it may be desirable to allow water to flow at that temperature setting for a period of time to fill the tub. It would be potentially dangerous in this situation if the child were to tamper with the faucets and change the temperature setting.
Another need that exists is the ability to restrict access to only one of a pair of faucet knobs. If, for example, the concern for scalding exists while at the same time there is also a need to provide access to drinking waters it may be desirable to provide access to the cold water faucet knob and to deny access to the hot water faucet knob.
It should be apparent that the unauthorized tampering of other types of rotary knobs, such as those which control the setting of either a gas or an electric range (stovetop), also pose a safety hazards one that can potentially impact others in the household as well. A gas explosion arising from the prolonged partial opening of a gas stove valve is indeed a serious consequence as is a fire induced by the improper manipulation of the knob of an electric range.
Similarly if the mentally infirm or small children are allowed to open a door and to exit from a secure area by turning the door knob a potential danger to their well-being arises.
Accordingly there exists today a need for a removable rotary knob cover that is easy to apply and remove by a caregiver and yet which is difficult to remove by the person for whom access is to be restricted and that, when applied, impedes access to and a subsequent changing of the setting of the knob. Clearly, such an apparatus is a useful and desirable device.
2. Description of Prior Art
Rotary knob covers are, in general, known. For example, the following patents describe various types of these devices:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,729,425 to, Helrich, Sep. 24, 1929; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,199,121 to Greto, Aug. 10, 1965; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,720 to Sanchez, Nov. 15, 1994; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,101 to Hoffman et al., Jan. 28, 1997; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. Des. 283,246 to Jack, Apr. ,1 1986; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. Des. 290,990 to Izzi, Jul. 21, 1987; and PA0 U.S. Pat. No. Des. 317,497 to Mast, Jr., Jun. 11, 1991.
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.